ANGEL’s Bone

Two angels fall to earth and land in the middle of a broken marriage. Heaven help them.

Care becomes contempt, and love becomes loathing in this dark, unsettling parable from contemporary composer  Du Yun and librettist  Royce Vavrek. 

Breaking with operatic tradition, Angel’s Bone fuses multiple musical genres, spoken word and immersive staging in an uncompromising tale of modern slavery and human trafficking. 

This UK premiere of the Pulitzer Prize-winning opera, an ENO production in collaboration with Factory International and the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, was staged at Aviva Studios, Manchester, in May and comes to London in October. The chorus is performed by Kantos Chamber Choir, with the Orchestra of ENO joining for the London run. 

Don’t miss Du Yun’s Angel’s Bone at the iconic London Coliseum this October – a bold, unsettling opera that will challenge and stay with you long after the curtain falls.

MORE INFO

Running time: 1hr 15mins (no interval)

Accessibility
The London Coliseum has an Access Scheme for our audiences with a disability, a health condition, or different access needs to ensure everyone has a comfortable and enjoyable visit.

British Sign Language
Thu 22 Oct 2026 19:30

Language
Sung in English with surtitles

Additional information
Age guidance: 18+.

Angel’s Bone portrays extreme sexual violence, human trafficking, sexual exploitation, prolonged acts of sexual aggression, violence, smoking and alcohol misuse, depiction of a firearm, depiction of intravenous drug use, depiction of death by suicide and use of strobe lighting.

where & when

LONDON | 16-31 October 2026
London Coliseum, St Martin’s Lane, London WC2N 4ES

The PLOT

Mr and Mrs X.E, are a desperate couple facing financial crisis and a crumbling marriage and they long for a better life. When they discover the two bruised and battered angels in their garden, they bring them inside to nurse them back to life.

Care quickly turns to control. The couple seize the opportunity to exploit the spiritual beings in pursuit of fame and fortune. Brutally clipping the angels’ wings to exploit this heavenly gift, the celestial beings are subjected to degrading, inhumane practices.

the artists

An English National Opera production in collaboration with Factory International and BBC Philharmonic.

Director Kip Williams
Composer Du Yun
Librettist Royce Vavrek
Chorus Kantos Chamber Choir
Orchestra ENO Orchestra